Transmission line device



Mamh 1933- c. F. WAGNER 1-: AL

TRANSMISSION-LINE DEVICE 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1928 m w 5 d m w m E G Va wR e W wa air C L oRNEY March 14, 1933.

c. F. WAGNER El AL TRANSMISSION LINE DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS f Charles F. Wagner and Lawrev ge R. Golladqy.

7 ATTORNEY Patented M; 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES F. WAGNER, OF SWISSVALE, AND LAWRENCE R. GOLLADAY, OF EAST PITTS- SURGE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANU- vIAC'LU' RING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA TRANSMISSION DEVICE Application filed February 27, 1928. Serial No. 257,268.

Our invention relates to transmission-line devices and particularly to means for suppressing power arcs that tend to follow lightning discharges across the transmissionline insulation.

' One object of our invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character that shall be simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation.

Another object of our invention is to provide a power-arc-suppressing transmissionline device that shall normally efi'ectively utilize all of the insulating material of the insulator with which it is associated.

, Another object of our invention is to provide a power-arc-suppressing device that, by being mounted at the ground end of an insulator, shall be relatively safe to install and renew, be less subject to line vibrations and have other advantages.

Another object of our invention is to provide a simple and eifective means for re peatedly suppressing power arcs on a transmission line, without the necessity of replacing renewal parts after each discharge.

A further object of our invention is to provide a transmission-line arc-control device including an arc gap that shall be so compensated for movements of the line as to maintain the gap of substantially constant length irrespective of such movements.

In high-voltage transmission-line practice, arc control devices, such as horns-and rings, havebeen provided to direct flashover arcs awa from the insulating material of the insu ators with which they are associated to revent damage to said material.

hese fiashover arcs are usually initiated by lightning discharges which attack the line and find a path to ground across an adjacent insulator.

In flashing over an insulator, the lightning arcs so charge the insulator field, or space immediately adjacent to it, as to cause power arcs, resulting from the line potential, to follow through the charged field.

Thus, while the power of the lightning discharge itself-is almost negligible, it induces a follow-up power surge from the merely provided to so direct these arcs as to prevent damage to the insulator to which they are attached.

lt is our aim not only to keep lightning discharges away from the insulator but also, to stop or suppress the follow-up power arcs whereby, instead of passing the power surge along the line to a power or sub-station, as with the usual arcmg horns and rings or without them, these surges are dissipated at their inception. v

Accordmgly, in practicing our invention, we provide one or more power-arc suppressing means, such as fuses, which are so employed in combination with the ground support, the insulator and the other usual elements of a transmission-line structure of this character, as to effectively suppress the power arcs, to render the device available for repeated arcs without the necessity of renewing parts after each discharge, to provide a safer and more effective mounting for the device, to compensate for line movements, to prevent adverse eifects on the operation of the device and to provide a device that is, in general, an improvement in the field of service for which it is adapted.

Figure l, of the accompanying drawings, is a side elevational view of a device constructed in accordance with our invention, and

Fi 2 is an elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1, taken at right angles thereto.

The device comprises, in general, a main ground supporting element 2, a supporting member 3 for an arc suppressing means 4 of our invention, a high-voltage insulator 5, a transmission-line conductor 6 and a" shield or arc-gap terminal element 7 for cooperattion with the means 4.

The ground-supporting element 2 is preferably a cross-arm or similar element of a structural-steel tower or other usual supporting means.

The member 3, shown in the form of a double angle-iron. structure secured at one end to the element 2 and extending in the general direction of the line conductor 6, is merely representative of any suitable structure for supporting the arc-suppressing means 4 at one side of the insulator 5 The arc-suppressing means 4 comprlses one or more fuses 9 removably secured in sockets 10 on the member 3, as by set screws 12, and having arc-gap terminal members 14 at the lower ends thereof.

Each arc-gap terminal member-.14, while it may be, of any suitable construction other than that illustrated, preferably comprises an arcuate tubular portion 17 and a central or radial projecting portion 18 having an sition.

end socket portion 19 by which it may be secured to the lower end of its corresponding fuse 9, as by a set screw 20 or other suitable means. Y

The insulator 5 is preferably of the seriesstring suspension type comprising a pluralieach other, by usual and well-known means,

and to the cross-arm 2, as by a link member- 24. A usual clamp 25 is e oyed to connect the conductor 6 to the insulator 5.

The arc-gap or conductor-shield element 7 is preferably of such length as to effectively cooperate with any number of the fuses 9 which may be employed in a particular instance and is also, preferably disposed at a distance from the insulator 5 and the clamp 25 along the conductor 6.

The fuses 9, and associated parts, are preferablyrigidly disposed on the member 3. Thus, since the insulator 5 is flexibly connected to the cross arm 2, the lower arc-gap terminal member 7 swings back and forth from right to left, as viewed in Fig. 2, about the point of suspension of the insulator 5 adjacent to the cross arm 2, relative to the arc-gap terminals 17. This movement of the member 7 is caused by swaying of the conductor 6.

Thus, unless compensated for, when the member 7 is at one of the outer limits of its swing, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2, the length of the gap between the member 7 and one of the members 17 would be greater than when the conductor and insulator are in the normally central or stationary po- Thecurvature of the lower surfaces of the members 17 is arranged to be as nearly as possible on an are about the center of the arc of swing described by the element 7, as viewed in Fig. 2.

Also, the distance between the member 7, and each of the members 17 is such, in view of the relation 'of the surfaces of the members 7 and 17, as to ensure that the breakdown value of thegap between the members 7 and 17 shall be less than the flashover value of the insulator 5.

In operation, when a lightning charge of sufficient power causes the insulator 5 alone to flashover, the flash, instead of traversing the insulator passes between the member 7 and one of the members 17.

If this discharge is sufficient to cause a power are to attempt topass between the conductor 6 and the member 3, the power are will disrupt one of the fuses 9 and the counter electromotive force and the force of dissipation thus effected will suppress the arc in a usual manner when such fuses are connected in an ordinary circuit.

Such an arc will ordinarily not flash from the member 7 to all of the members 17 but will flash to only one of them depending on conditions at the time of discharge.

Also, the action is so rapid as to dissipate the arc and clear the line of the discharge before the fuses which have not blown, may be affected.

Thus, unless the very unusual phenomenon of several rapid lightning discharges in the same place occurs, the device of our invention is set up for repeated discharges of the usual ordinary intervals therebetween, without the necessity of replacements of parts after each discharge. 7

Since these intervals may be of weeks,

-months or years, the advantage of the arrangement is clearly evident.

Having the fuses 9 mounted on the stationary grounded element 3 is also a feature of considerable advantage both from a standpoint of safety and from a standpoint of facility in installing and renewing the fuses 9, as may be clearly seen. Also, since the most common line movement is a side swing, as above pointed out, the arrangement of the arcuate members 17 to compensate for this movement and to, thereby provide an air gap of constant length, irrespective of this movement, is a feature of considerable advantage.

lVhile we have shown and described a particular form of our invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination in a high-voltage transmission-line device, a main ground support, a suspension insulator depending therefrom for supporting a line conductor, and means rigidly depending from the ground support in substantially parallel relation to the insulator including an arcuate arc-gap terminal cooperating with an element at the other end of the insulator to provide a gap of smallerbreak-down value than the flashover value of the insulator and to compensate for the swing of the conductor to maintain said gap of constant length.

2. In combination, in a high-voltage transmission-line device, a main ground support, a suspension insulator depending from a portion 'of said support for supporting a line conductor and electrodes associated with said support and said conductor, respectively, to provide a gap to direct arcs away from the insulator, one of said electrodes being of arcuate formation transversely of the conductor to compensate for relative movement between the electrodes to maintain said gap of substantially uniform length.

3. In combination, in a high-voltage transmission-line device, a main ground support, a suspension insulator depending from a ortion of said support for supporting a ine conductor, and electrodes associated with said support and said conductor, respectively, to provide a gap to direct arcs away from the insulator and adapted to compensate for relative movement between the electrodes to maintain said gap of substantially uniform length, one of said electrodes being substantially in a plane normal to the axis of the conductor and having a portion of arcuate shape about the axis of swing of the conductor.

4. In combination, a'high-voltage transmission-line device com-prising a ground support, an elongated insulator, means for supporting said insulator from and below said support while permitting a swinging motion of said insulator, a line conductor sup-' ported from the free end of said insulator, a fuse attached to said support and spaced from said insulator, substantially parallel thereto, and an electrode supported on the free end of said fuse spaced from said conductor to form an air gap between the fuse and the conductor.

5. In combination, in a high-voltage transmission-line device, a main ground support, an insulator, means for attaching said insulator to a portion of said support and permitting a swinging motion of said insulator, a line conductor supported by said insulator, and electrodes associated with said support and said conductor, respectively, in spaced relation to each other, and means associated with one of said electrodes for maintaining a uniform distance between said electrodes during swinging movements of said conductor. v

6. In combination, in a high-voltage transmission line device, a main ground support, a suspension insulator. depending from a portion of said supp'ort,,means permitting a swinging motion of said insulator, a line conductor supported by said insulator, and electrodes associated with said support and said conductor, respectively, in spaced relation to each other to rect arcs away from t e insulator, one of said electrodes having a configuration that maintains a uniform distance between said the insulator, sald insulator permitting relative movement of the electrodes, and a fuse positioned substantially parallel to and locally associated with said insulator in series with one of said electrodes for suppressing power arcs, one of said electrodes having a configuration that maintains said ga uniform during relative movements 0 said electrodes.

8. In combination, a high-voltage transmission-line device comprising a ground support, an elongated insulator, means for supporting said insulator from below said support while permitting a swinging motion of said insulator, a line conductor supported from the free end of said insulator, a powerarc-suppressing fuse attached to said support and spaced from said insulator sub stantially parallel thereto, and an electrode supported on the free end of said arc-suppressing fuse, and spaced from said conductor to form an air gap between the fuse and the conductor.

9. In a transmission-line device, a support, an insulator supported thereby, means on'the insulator for supporting a line cable, a fuse of substantial length compared to the length of the insulator and disposed in series relation to a gap parallel to the insulator, and means supporting the fuse substantially entirely at a single local position thereon at the end spaced from the gap.

. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 16th day of February, 1928.

CHARLES F. WAGNER. LAWRENCE R. GOLLADAY.

provide a gap to di- 

